Studious Slytherin
by tinylexie
Summary: This is for Round 12 of alyssialui's Twister Challenge. In this round, we had to choose from a list of characters to write about. I chose to write about Theodore Nott. Summary: Theodore Nott's many thoughts. He is not your typical Slytherin.


To most members of the three other Houses, all Slytherins were the same. To them, all Slytherins were Pureblood bigots that were arrogant and were just waiting for the right moment to attack some poor hapless Muggle or Mudblood.

That was not to say that Theodore Nott wasn't a Pureblood bigot, because he was, but he most definitely wasn't spending all his time hiding in a dark corner and waiting for the right moment to strike someone who he saw as being inferior to him.

No, Theodore was much too busy with his studies to be concerned with killing all Muggles and Mudbloods in sight.

He had always been a studious boy. While most of his male Pureblood peers wanted to do nothing more than to play Quidditch, Theodore preferred to have his head in a book.

But even though Theodore was a very quiet, reserved boy, there were times he wanted to do something horrible to Hermione Granger. He didn't have a problem with her wanting to be smart (even though she was a Mudblood), but he did have a problem with her showing off her intelligence all the time. Did she really have to be such a Know-It-All? It was as if she was trying to mock all the Purebloods by saying, "Look how smart I am. I am so much smarter than all of you. So much for blood superiority. I'm proof that Mudbloods are better than Purebloods."

Well, Theodore was insulted by that. Even though he was quiet and reserved about most things, he was proud to be a Pureblood; and he didn't like some Mudblood trying to mock him and the rest of his kind.

Besides, there was no way that Hermione Granger was smarter than Theodore Nott. He just was more reserved and more humble about his intelligence. Granger really could use some lessons in humility. And to think most people thought that it was the Purebloods that were arrogant.

Most people really didn't understand Purebloods.

* * *

><p>For the most part, Theodore liked his Housemates, even though he wished that they would focus more on studying than on flying. In his opinion, they were allowing Granger to embarrass them; and if they would only take the time to open a book every once in a while, Granger would quickly find out that she wasn't that wonderful after all.<p>

In Theodore's opinion, his fellow Housemate Daphne Greengrass easily surpassed Granger in intelligence. Daphne, however, was quiet and reserved like Theodore; so her intelligence was not acknowledged like it should have been.

Theodore and Daphne got along very well. They could easily spend hours reading a book together without either feeling awkward. Not to mention the fact that Daphne was practically talented in Charms, and Theodore found practicing with her to be very useful.

* * *

><p>Daphne's younger sister, Astoria, was brilliant as well. Her intelligence, however, was sometimes not seen because of her cheerful nature (which wasn't typical of a Slytherin).<p>

And it didn't help Astoria that she was often distracted by Draco Malfoy, who it was so painfully obvious she had strong feelings for. Theodore didn't understand what Draco saw in Pansy Parkinson. Pansy was smart in her own way (including in Potions), but her "love" for Draco was hugely based on the fact that his father was held in such high regard in Pureblood circles. Pansy just loved being the "girlfriend" to the great and powerful Malfoy heir.

In Theodore's opinion, Astoria's feelings for Draco just seemed more genuine. If only she wasn't so nervous and awkward whenever she was around him.

* * *

><p>But while on the subject of Draco Malfoy, he could have also been a huge challenge for Granger, if only he didn't insist on acting like he didn't have to work hard just because his father was Lucius Malfoy.<p>

Not that Theodore had a problem with Lucius Malfoy, because he didn't. In fact, he rather liked and respected Mr. Malfoy. Theodore remembered one of his visits to Malfoy Manor. Lucius Malfoy had caught him reading a book while he had been sitting on a bench in the garden.

"I wish I could get my son to read more," Lucius had remarked with both amusement and seriousness in his voice. It was so clear that Lucius wanted his son to do well in school, so that Draco could have a good future.

And as soon as Lucius had learned that Theodore liked philosophy, the Malfoy patriarch had been more than happy to offer Theodore some of his books from his own private collection (with the condition that Theodore return the books as soon as he was finished with them, which the boy didn't have any problems with as the books did belong to Mr. Malfoy).

And if there was a book that Theodore really liked, Lucius found a way to give him his own copy.

Theodore's own father didn't encourage him to read and to be smart. Theodore's father, in fact, could care less what his son was up to; and in the boy's opinion, he was a bit of an idiot. Not like Lucius Malfoy, who clearly valued intelligence, subtlety, and cleverness (traits that Theodore wanted to have in himself).

* * *

><p>Narcissa Malfoy was also wonderful. She reminded Theodore of his mother. Both women always seemed to have sweets on hand, and both women encouraged Theodore's studious behavior. To put it simply, both women truly cared about him and truly wanted what was best for him.<p>

Theodore's mother, however, could no longer give her son sweets or encourage him to do his absolute best in school. Before he had been accepted into Hogwarts, Theodore had watched his mother slowly die from a horrible illness because her husband had insisted that it wasn't anything major and that she didn't need to go to St. Mungo's.

As mentioned already, Theodore thought that his father was a bit of an idiot.

And watching Narcissa and Draco together reminded Theodore of what he had lost when his mother had died. To Mrs. Malfoy's credit, however, she always treated Theodore as if he was another son. Theodore could never be angry at her or at Draco.

But watching Narcissa and Draco together never failed to increase Theodore's feelings of anger towards his father.

Theodore knew there was no way that Lucius Malfoy would ever keep his wife away from St. Mungo's if she was to ever become seriously ill. No, Lucius Malfoy would drop everything in order to ensure that his wife got the help that she needed as quickly as possible.

* * *

><p>Theodore had not really cared when Harry Potter had labeled his father as a Death Eater. Theodore basically took care of himself anyways, and he had never felt any love towards his father. And he had never forgiven his father for allowing his mother to die, especially since she probably could have been saved if she had been allowed to go to the hospital.<p>

Theodore, however, had been concerned about Potter calling out Lucius Malfoy. Theodore, after all, liked and respected Mr. Malfoy; and he didn't appreciate anyone speaking about Mr. Malfoy in such a horrible way.

Really, why did everyone think that Harry Potter was so special? So what both of his parents had died. Theodore's mother was dead as well, and the Wizarding World wasn't rallying around him because of that. The Wizarding World had not cared at all when his mother had died. It was as if she had been meaningless.

But Theodore's mother had meant a lot to him. In fact, she had meant everything to him. She had been the one who had loved and supported him. She had been the one who had showed him that he was not alone in the world.

Theodore lost a huge part of himself the day that his mother died, but no one cared.

Everyone only cared about what _Harry Potter_ had lost. It was as if no one else mattered.

* * *

><p>After Potter's infamous interview in their fifth year, Theodore had felt the need to spend more time with Draco. He had felt like Draco had needed his support. Besides, despite the fact that most people saw Draco as nothing more than an arrogant bully, Theodore knew that he loved both of his parents.<p>

And even though they typically had different interests, Draco had always treated Theodore with the respect that he had never received from members of the other three Houses. Theodore, after all, was a Slytherin and the son of a man who had been accused of being a Death Eater. That meant, of course, that the Nott boy just had to be "evil." With Draco, it was like "Us Against the World." And even though Theodore didn't mind spending time by himself (he actually rather liked it), he did appreciate having a true comrade.

Draco also was very intelligent, when he actually took the time to apply himself. And Draco's skills in Potions were slightly above Theodore's, so Theodore enjoyed when he and Draco were able to work together on a particularly difficult potion.

* * *

><p>Theodore, however, didn't understand why Draco would want to spend so much time with Crabbe and Goyle. There was no sugarcoating it; they were idiots. And Theodore knew that as self-absorbed as Draco often acted, he wasn't so self-absorbed that he needed to be with such idiots just to show how smart he was. Perhaps it was as simple as the fact that Crabbe and Goyle were also children of Death Eaters, and that created a unique bond that no one else would ever be able to understand.<p>

Or perhaps Draco just liked to be the leader of his group. From what Theodore's father had told him, Lucius Malfoy had been one of the Dark Lord's chief lieutenants.

Theodore knew that Draco looked up to and respected his father, and that he wanted to be just like his father. It was only natural, therefore, that Draco would want to mimic Lucius Malfoy as much as possible.

Theodore, on the other hand, had no desire to mimic his father in any way. There was nothing about his father that he could be proud about.

* * *

><p>Most people, however, didn't stop to think about any of these things whenever they looked at Theodore and noticed that he was a Slytherin. And it got even worse when they heard his last name. That made people judge him even more quickly.<p>

No, most people didn't take the time to get to know Theodore for who he was as an individual. If they had, they would have quickly realized that all Theodore really wanted to do was to get a good education and to have a good career.

And perhaps one day also marry Daphne Greengrass.


End file.
